By Kris King, Race Director, Beyond the Ultimate

At Beyond the Ultimate, we love multi-day racing. We love the challenge of heading into a remote environment, carrying what you need and finding out what you’re capable of when things get tough.

Self-sufficiency is a huge part of that. It asks you to think about more than just running: your kit, your food, your recovery and the decisions you make each day all become part of the race.

That will never change for our Global Race Series. Self-sufficiency remains at the heart of those events.

But when we looked at the Highland Ultra and the ForRangers Ultra, we started asking ourselves a question: could we make these two races more welcoming without losing the adventure and challenge that make them special?

We believe we can. That’s why we’re introducing a new Fast and Light format.

Why make the change?

The Highland Ultra and ForRangers Ultra are two very different races, but they share something important. Both are built around giving back to the places and people that make them possible.

In Knoydart, the Highland Ultra takes us into a remarkable community and landscape. The race supports local initiatives, including the Knoydart Foundation and Knoydart Forest Trust. In Kenya, the ForRangers Ultra helps raise funds and awareness for the wildlife rangers protecting some of the world’s most extraordinary animals. 

We want more people to have the opportunity to experience these places, meet the people who care for them and be part of that impact.

For some runners, carrying everything they need for several days is exactly the challenge they’re looking for. For others, particularly those new to multi-day racing, it can feel like a daunting place to start. There’s a lot to learn before you even reach the start line.

Fast and Light is our way of opening the door a little wider.

What does Fast and Light mean?

The principle is simple: you carry what you need for the stage, while a drop bag gives you access to additional food and camp essentials during the race.

That means a lighter pack than you would normally carry in a fully self-sufficient multi-day event. It does not mean leaving essential safety equipment behind, and it doesn’t turn the race into a fully catered event.

The details are different for each race because the environments are different. On the Highland Ultra, for example, runners will still carry mandatory equipment including a sleeping bag and bivvy bag. In remote mountain terrain, those items are there to help protect you if you need to shelter and wait for support. You’ll also carry your stage food and be responsible for planning the food you need across the event. 

The point is not to strip away the responsibility that comes with racing in remote places. It’s to make the load more manageable, while making sure runners have the equipment they need for the environment they’re in.

We have set out the full bag and kit requirements for each race in its race pack. You can download them here 

Highland

ForRangers Ultra

Read them carefully, train with your kit and arrive prepared. Fast and Light still requires you to do the work.

A lighter pack doesn’t make the challenge disappear

The Munros of Knoydart are not going to get any smaller. The weather can still change quickly, the terrain will still demand your attention, and you’ll still need to get up and go again the next morning.

The same is true in Kenya. You’ll be covering serious distances over multiple days, in an environment unlike anywhere else. You’ll need to manage your pace, look after yourself and listen to the teams working on the ground.

There will still be moments when you’re tired, when you question why you signed up, and when reaching camp feels like the best thing in the world. That is part of multi-day racing, and it’s part of why we love it.

Our job is to put the right support around you: experienced teams, medical provision and safety plans appropriate to the places we operate. Your job is to prepare, respect the environment and take responsibility for your own race.

A first step, or an adventure in its own right

For some, the Highland Ultra or ForRangers Ultra might be a first step towards a fully self-sufficient Global Race Series event. You’ll get to experience consecutive days on the trail, learn how your body recovers, test your kit and discover what life in camp is really like.

For others, Fast and Light will be exactly the race they want to take on. That’s just as important. You don’t have to see it as a stepping stone to anything else.

Whether you’re racing at the front, moving steadily towards the finish or taking on your first multi-day event, the challenge is yours.

What matters to us is that you leave having experienced somewhere extraordinary, having pushed yourself further than you thought you could, and knowing that your journey has helped support the people and places around you.

We’ll see you on the start line.